You Feel Like Home
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: For a moment, they just stood there, breathing heavily. "That was…" Carlton's eyes rolled back into his head and Juliet lunged forward as he collapsed to the ground. "Carlton!"
1. Chapter 1

For your consideration, a collision of two of my favorite shows, Psych and In Plain Sight. This is a retelling of what is probably my favorite IPS ep, Trojan Horst. I used a lot of its dialogue and scenes, which of course I don't own. And did I mention this is pre-Lassiet? Yeah... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: not mine

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Sometimes Juliet O'Hara hated transporting witnesses.

At that very moment, she was sitting in the passenger seat of a large SUV. Her partner and best friend, Carlton Lassiter, was in the driver's seat, and they were on their way to pick up a witness/informant/crappy person and transport him to a couple of witness protection officers a few hours away. Horst had been a somewhat decent informant but no one was interested in him. The FBI and a few other government agencies wanted his boss, Lola. And he convinced them he could deliver her, for a price of course.

Which is how Lassiter and Juliet were wrangled into transporting the little cretin. Just an hour ago, they had picked him up from the station and already Juliet could sense how tense and pissed Lassiter was. Not that she could blame him. The slimeball wouldn't stop running his mouth and she was doing her best to tune him out.

Now he was ranting about his medicine bag and how he had to check his blood sugar levels every hour to stay alive.

What a tragedy it would be if he lost that bag.

Juliet looked over at Carlton, who was gripping the steering wheel tightly. He had his sunglasses on and for once was dressed semi-casually in pressed black slacks and a navy button down. Not that she blamed him. It had to be nearing ninety five degrees outside and it was barely noon.

Oddly enough, it made her miss Florida.

Juliet herself was also wearing blue slacks and a button down, but hers was a soft green. Since it was Friday, she had also given herself a bit of a break by choosing sneakers over her normal high heels and her hair was down rather than styled up.

"Hey, Mulder and Scully, are we taking a pit stop soon?" Horst demanded from the backseat, grating Juliet's nerves again.

Lassiter glared in the rearview mirror. "Shut up, Horst."

"Oh, very mature," the blond man grumbled. "You know, you two are police. Sworn officers of the law whose duty it is to protect me."

Juliet rested her hand on the back of Carlton's headrest and glared daggers at the annoying felon. "I wouldn't piss him off if I were you."

"That's real nice, big man. Hiding behind Mommy's skirt."

A gas station appeared not far from them and Horst continued, "I need something to drink, now. And I gotta take a leak." He held his cuffed hands up imploringly.

Juliet was surprised when Lassiter made a sharp turn, pulling into the gas station parking lot.

"Thanks, Lurch!" Horst said pleasantly, nearly bouncing in his seat.

Lassiter killed the engine and unfastened his seatbelt. "Want to grab some drinks?"

"Of course." She patted his arm and unbuckled her own seatbelt before getting out of the SUV. As she headed toward the entrance of the store, she heard Horst call out for organic juice, followed by her partner's familiar snarl.

"It's a gas station, moron."

Shaking her head a little, Juliet walked into the gas station and began grabbing snacks and drinks. It was even hotter than when they had left the department, if that was possible, so she grabbed extra bottles of water. Then she made her way to the cashier, who was half-heartedly flipping through a magazine.

After paying for the purchases, Juliet carried the bags outside, where she found Carlton waiting at the bathroom door with a disgusted look.

Horst was yelling out of the bathroom, "Your partner is something, huh? Nice body, little quiet, but I'll bet she's a hellcat in bed. I should know, I work for a female assassin!"

Lassiter looked ready to suckerpunch Horst the moment he walked out of the bathroom, but Juliet placed a calming hand on his arm and motioned for him to go back to the car. He did so reluctantly, stalking off as he muttered under his breath.

While she waited for Horst to emerge, she heard Carlton snap at someone, followed by the sound of scurrying feet. She just shook her head. He had come a long way in the seven years they had been partnered together, but everyone had their off days and she gave him a break.

"Trust me, my friend, men pay good money to get with a woman like that," Horst called out over the sound of water running. "Hey, you know I hate to have to ask, but these cuffs are making it kind of difficult. Do you think you can help me out with my zipper?"

The stall door opened and Horst emerged from it with his back to Juliet. Then he turned around and saw whom he had been talking to, and he let out a deflated, "Aw."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Isn't this awkward?"

Ten minutes later, they were back on the road and heading alongside Gould Park. The area was gorgeous but empty, and Juliet scowled when she realized she had lost service on her phone. It was 2019, for crying out loud. What part of California didn't have signal? She checked Carlton's phone as well; of course it didn't have signal either.

"Sweet lady Justice!"

Immediately Juliet looked at her partner. "What? What's wrong now?"

He nodded to the dash, where their Check Engine light was flashing. They both let out an annoyed groan, eliciting another smartass comment from Horst.

"We should pull over before the engine seizes." Lassiter began driving the SUV off of the road and onto the empty stretch of space that ran along the highway. The engine began to rattle and smoke, to their consternation.

"Great, so I get to spend more time with my new favorite couple," the blond man groused in the back.

It took all of Juliet's self control to not snarl at him as Lassiter brought the SUV to a stop. After turning off the engine, he popped the hood of the SUV and opened his door, as did Juliet. "I'll take a look."

Nodding, she watched as he went around to the front of the SUV and lifted the hood. Before he did anything, he rolled up his sleeves before he began examining the smoking engine.

"Do you see anything?" Juliet called out to him.

"Hang on. I'm working on it," Lassiter grumbled, his piercing eyes roving over the engine.

Juliet let out a weary breath as she watched Lassiter drop to his knees, out of her sight.

The low rumble of another car's engine caught Juliet's attention. "We've got company!" she called out as she turned and shoved Horst down into the floor of the SUV. "Get in the floor."

"What did you say?" Lassiter called as he rose to his feet and came around the hood of the SUV.

Before Juliet could reply, shots rang out and she watched in horror as one of the bullets hit her partner. "Carlton!" She barely saw him go down as she yanked her gun out of its holster and leaned through the open window, taking aim at the interlopers. She squeezed off three rounds before throwing the SUV into reverse and using it as a shield between the shooters and her partner.

The gunfire continued from both sides, with Juliet leaning back in her seat to protect her head and upper body while she shot blindly through the open window.

There was a pause after her clip was empty, but she heard footsteps and two more shots from the assailants as she fumbled for another clip. Her adrenaline was pumping through her body and she raised her head just enough to see the two people, a man and a woman, bear down on her.

Desperately she grabbed her backup piece from her ankle and resumed firing her weapon. She couldn't let them get closer to Carlton.

Her gun suddenly jammed and she glanced up in time to see the pair hovering just over her door, ready to kill her. Her hands trembled and she gulped air in.

This was it. This was how she died.

Then there was more gunfire, but this didn't come from her would-be assassins. No, it came from Carlton who had somehow pulled himself to his feet and was shooting at the other pair. Juliet grabbed another gun from under Carlton's seat and threw herself out of the car, taking aim.

"Carlton, take cover!" she yelled as she squeezed off more rounds. Either he didn't hear her or he wasn't listening, because he continued to shoot, his expression one of rage.

Finally the man and woman retreated back to their car, still under fire from Juliet and Lassiter as they threw their car into drive and peeled out of the empty area, back to the highway. It was only once they were out of sight that Juliet and Carlton finally stopped shooting.

For a moment, they just stood there, breathing heavily.

"That was…" Carlton's eyes rolled back into his head and Juliet lunged forward as he collapsed to the ground.

"Carlton!"

To Be Continued...


	2. Boom

Yeah... I'm sorry I completely lost this one in the shuffle. Ha. But I've spent the past two days finishing it and polishing it nicely. For those of you who need a reminder, this was totally swiped from the In Plain Sight episode, Trojan Horst. The episode, at least to me, is the epitome of partnership and hurt/comfort. It's absolutely brilliant, and completely not mine. After this there are about two, maybe three chapters left. So buckle in and enjoy, dear readers.

(also, there is a certain scene in here that may seem a bit out of character for Lassiter, what with the medical terminology and all. But this is fanfiction and I like to believe Lassiter has picked up a thing or two over the years).

Disclaimer: Not mine

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"Carlton!"

Letting the gun fall from her hand, Juliet dropped to her knees beside her partner. "Carlton? Carlton. Oh my God," she muttered, gently rolling Carlton onto his back so she could see his face. One hand came up and lightly patted his cheek, trying desperately to rouse him. "Carlton, can you hear me?"

The pained sound he let out was practically music to her ears. "Hell...musta hit my head…"

Juliet couldn't contain a bemused sigh. "Yeah, that's what happened," she muttered, carefully smoothing his thick hair back. "Then you fell on a bullet." Her left hand absently moved to his side while her right continued to stroke his hair.

"Huh?" His eyes remained closed.

"Carlton, you got shot!" she exclaimed, half exasperated and half terrified.

One big hand weakly moved across his chest, as though searching for the injury. "Ah, hell…"

Leaning back just a little, Juliet pulled her phone out of her pocket and frantically checked the screen. "Still nothing," she muttered, returning her attention to her injured partner.

"It's the hills," Carlton muttered, still very much needing to be right about everything even as Juliet removed her jacket, then her dress shirt. He weakly began pushing himself up as one of the doors of the SUV flung open.

"No, don't anybody worry about me, the guy you're supposed to be protecting," Horst called out as he stumbled out of the SUV and began sauntering over to them.

Rolling her eyes, Juliet wadded up her shirt. "I'm gonna kill him," she growled, pressing her shirt against the bullet wound in Carlton's shoulder. "Shut up and get back in the car!" To Carlton she firmly said, "Here. Hold this on your wound. Press it tightly." Carlton's hand came up and held the shirt to his wound, and Juliet absently moved her free hand to support Carlton's arm.

"He's right, it's my fault," Carlton panted, leaning back against his partner for support. "Back at the rest stop… She dropped a bottle under the car. I watched him pick it up, but he must have smeared some kind of acid on the radiator hose. I looked but I didn't see anything."

Nodding, Juliet gave his arm a squeeze, not missing the tone of self-recrimination. There was no time to wallow in self pity. "Okay, come on. We gotta try to get you up." She pressed down over his hand that was holding the wound. "We gotta get you to the hospital."

He was quiet for a moment, seemingly gathering his strength. "You're mad, aren't you?"

_Oh, Carlton_… "Not as mad as I'd be if I was the one who got shot," she replied, trying to bring a little levity to their situation as she grasped her partner and began to pull him up.

"I respect your honesty, O'Hara."

Together they managed to struggle to their feet, and Juliet pulled his free arm around her shoulders before guiding him over to the SUV. Once he was secure in the front seat, she grabbed Horst's shirt and shoved him into the backseat, slamming the door behind him. Then she raced to the driver's seat and got in.

The SUV lasted longer than she had expected, but when the engine died ten minutes later, rage filled her. "Where the hell is that gas station," she muttered over the stalling sounds of the engine. "Damn it…" The SUV finally stopped, smoke pouring from beneath the hood. "Come on." Please. She jiggled the keys in the ignition, willing it to turn over. "Come on!"

Beside her, Carlton quietly said, "It's okay. In about four hours, every cop in the universe will be looking for us."

Juliet looked away from the steering wheel and to her pale partner. He was still clutching her shirt to his chest. "Yeah, but can you hang on that long?" It was a question she didn't really want to ask as she white knuckled the steering wheel.

His chest moved as he took a shallow breath. "I'm breathing and I haven't bled out, which means no vital organs have been hit." His eyes were just barely open. "So yeah...maybe. But this car's about to turn into a pizza oven. We should find some shade."

She nodded and murmured an affirmative answer as Horst interrupted them.

"You know what, speaking of pizza? I am so hungry. Do you guys have anything? Chips? Anything, really."

His words faded as Juliet scoped out the abandoned building a few yards from them. It would provide a temporary shelter and get Carlton out of the blazing heat. She swung her door open and got out, then rounded the hood and opened Carlton's door. "Come on, partner." She helped him out of his seat, then ordered him to stay resting against the SUV while she dragged Horst out of the backseat. Once that was done, she went to the trunk and pulled out a hefty duffle bag.

She stalked over to Horst and shoved the bag against his chest.

"What am I, your pack mule?" he cried out in annoyance, but Juliet ignored him and turned back to Carlton. Touching his arm, she met his eyes and said, "Listen, we'll take it slowly."

He seemed to think for a moment. "Get the tube that connects to the windshield wiper fluid."

Puzzled, she looked him over. "Okay...why?"

"We're gonna need it."

Juliet nodded and retrieved the requested tube, tucking it into their duffle bag. Then she pulled Carlton's arm around her shoulders and they began the trek from the SUV to the abandoned building. She could feel Carlton breathing shallowly, his lanky body trembling as it pressed against her own.

Nearly halfway there, she called out to Horst. "That was Lola, wasn't it?"

"What do you think, genius?" Horst grumbled, turning to look back at the pair.

Impotent rage filled Juliet and she swung her gaze up to meet Carlton's. "Can you stand by yourself for a second?"

"I think so," he replied, seemingly sensing his partner's plan.

"Good." She gently slipped out from under his arm, tucking her gun into its holster. Taking two steps, she grabbed the duffle bag from Horst's outstretched arms and tossed it to the ground.

"Thank you-" He had barely gotten the words out when Juliet grabbed his shoulders and, using the element of surprise, shoved him to the ground. Pinning him roughly to the dirt, she planted one knee in his back.

"We are way past the point of cracking wise, little man; I'm trying to save your life," she hissed in his ear, ignoring his whimpers of pain. "So answer my questions before I get angry, you festering pustule."

"Alright, look," Horst groaned, struggling under her. "I don't know if that was Lola. I've never actually met her."

Juliet's eyes widened in shock. "I thought you told the feds you could ID her."

"No," Horst insisted, wriggling futilely beneath her. "I said I could deliver her. We always conducted our business on the phone." He inhaled sharply. "Now would you please get off me? You're not exactly petite, you know."

Infuriated, Juliet slammed her knee into his lower back, smirking at his whimper of pain. She shoved him down as she rose to her feet and quickly made her way back to her partner.

"What do you think?" she asked Carlton, who was visibly unsteady.

"I think if that was Lola, she knows this is her only shot at Mr. Personality before he talks to the feds," he replied as Horst struggled in the dirt nearby.

Understanding dawned in Juliet's eyes. "In other words, she's coming back."

His lips tugged up in a weak attempt at a smile. "Dun dun dun."

The blond rolled her eyes. "That's pretty funny, coming from a guy with a sucking chest wound."

"I know."

Horst finally managed to get to his feet and Juliet grabbed the heavy duffle bag, shoving it into his arms again.

"Oh, sweet," the witness exclaimed sarcastically.

Juliet just rolled her eyes and pulled Carlton's arm around her shoulders again.

She was definitely gonna kill him.

* * *

The pace was torturously slow, but finally they reached the abandoned building. The front door was locked and Juliet took a page out of Carlton's book and shot it open with two of the bullets she had left. The door swung open and she helped Carlton across the threshold.

"Ah, yes, this place is gonna do wonders for my allergies!" Horst exclaimed in that nasally, sarcastic tone.

Juliet could only roll her eyes as she scanned the room for somewhere Carlton could sit. Thankfully there was an ancient couch near the wall and she eased Carlton down onto it. Carlton fell back against the cushions with a raspy sigh, and Juliet had to fight every instinct to hold him. She turned on her heel and stalked toward Horst. "You. Over there."

"Oh, come on," he protested as Juliet nearly dragged him to a worn out bookshelf. There were several bar stools placed atop of it. "Oh, there are gonna be lawsuits aplenty, trust me on that."

"Shut up," Juliet snapped as she cuffed him to the closest thing she could find: a metal pipe. Horst laughed bitterly while she manhandled him and took the duffel bag once more, carrying it back to the couch. "Carlton, how are you doing?" She dropped the bag beside him; in the softer light he looked so much more pale. Without thinking she placed her hand on his leg.

"Tension...pneumothorax…" He struggled with the words, his eyelids flickering rapidly as he held his hand to the wound in his chest.

Juliet leaned over him, trying to keep his focus on her. "That's funny. I was just gonna say that." Whatever it was, it sounded bad and looked even worse.

"Tube…" With surprising strength, he managed to pull his button down open, revealing the bloody wife beater beneath. "...thoracostomy…"

Juliet had almost no experience in the medical field, save what Ewan and a few close calls of her own had taught her. "Carlton, I don't understand." And she didn't. But she finally saw the wound up close and fear gripped her heart.

"Get the tube from the car," Carlton gritted out and Juliet pulled the tube from the bag where she had placed it earlier. Once she had the tube in her hand, she said, "Okay, now what?" She looked back at Carlton just as his eyes closed and his head fell back against the couch. She dropped the tube and reached out for her partner. "Carlton?" Her hands went to his chest. "Carlton. Carlton!"

Frantic, she gently slapped his cheek. "Carlton, wake up and tell me what to do. Carlton!"

He remained unresponsive.

Panic clawed at her as she straddled his legs and tried to think, but all she knew was that her partner and best friend wasn't breathing.

She wasn't letting him go that easy.

Leaning down, she carefully tilted his head forward and pinched his nose closed with two fingers. Then she sealed her lips over his and blew a breath into him.

It took two more rescue breaths, but finally Carlton inhaled sluggishly. Immediately Juliet eased off of him and to her feet, but her hands stayed on his face as he coughed. "Carlton." She lightly patted his cheek, trying to gain his attention. He was breathing. He was back. But she would lose him again if he didn't tell her what to do.

Thankfully he seemed to understand that and he managed, "Insert the tube...through the bullet wound. Second intercostal."

Even in the chaos, she couldn't help marveling at him. It really seemed that he knew a little of everything. But that didn't help her. "What?"

Annoyance filled his features, to her relief. "Put the tube in the hole," he gruffed, cracking his eyes open just a bit before letting his head fall back again.

"Okay. Alright." Juliet retrieved the tube again and bent over her partner, trying not to contemplate her next move. "I hope you know what you're doing." She shoved his shirt out of the way and pushed the tube into the wound, wincing at the sound it made. There was a whoosh of air and suddenly Carlton took a deep breath. She picked up the other end of the tube, staring at it as air escaped the narrow tubing.

Almost immediately Carlton's coloring looked better and he raised his head. "Better." The look he gave Juliet was one of pride.

"Well...I'll be damned," she muttered to herself. He was an enigma and it had certainly just helped her save his life. How in the hell had he known how to do that?

He took the tube from her, blinking slowly. "Hand me a half empty water bottle."

Nodding, Juliet opened their bag and found a water bottle. She twisted the lid off, and with only a little hesitation she poured half of it onto the dirty floor. Then she handed the bottle to Carlton, who proceeded to place the tube in the bottle. Immediately there was a bubbling sound and they both stared at it. "Amazing," Juliet muttered.

"It's a water seal," he explained. "Had to do this once before. Didn't think I'd ever have to do it again."

"It saved your life." She reached out and cupped his cheek in her hand. He only looked a little surprised by the gentle touch. This afternoon had been full of firsts for them, but they could overanalyze it later. The touches kept him grounded, kept pulling him back to her.

And she wasn't going to let him down now.

To Be Continued...

A/N: God, I love badass and protective Juliet. Let me know what ya'll thought of this while I polish the next chapter and get it ready to be posted. Happy reading!


	3. Before They Do

I am ridiculously excited. This story is complete and I have all of the chapters uploaded into the doc manager. Just a matter of posting now! I think this story averaged about 7k words and technically could have been a one shot, but I like how this turned out. Also, so far this story has been solely from Juliet's POV. It's been a bit of a change for me, but I think it worked out better this way. Enjoy, everyone!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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Dusk was quickly settling upon them. "You should go," Carlton quietly told Juliet as she checked the window for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"You should shut up," she retorted, stalking back over to him. "I'm not leaving you like a sitting duck." There was no way in hell she would do that. Partners did not just leave each other alone to die.

He reached out suddenly, his long fingers closing around her wrist and holding her in place. "Take him with you. It's only a couple of miles to the highway."

She stared back at him, dumbfounded by his suggestion. Shaking her head, she pulled her wrist away. "It's not gonna happen. Forget it."

"You know it's the right call, O'Hara." He coughed quietly.

Leaning closer to him, she murmured, "I'd be a lot faster without him." Carlton was getting weaker and they were running out of time.

As if he could hear, Horst shouted out, "Hey, you. No secrets."

"You can't leave him with me," Lassiter continued, his eyes searching Juliet's. "I can't protect him."

Juliet looked to her right, in their witness's direction.

Horst caught her gaze and shifted uncomfortably. "Why-why are you looking at me like that?"

She exhaled deeply. Carlton was right. They had to protect Horst's sorry ass. Her gaze went back to Carlton's. "You better not die on me."

"I will try not to die. For you."

Juliet left Carlton's side and yanked Horst off of his stool. She dragged him close to the couch, then stopped. "Stay." Letting go of him, she bent down to look at Carlton. "Okay, look." She rummaged through their duffle bag until she found the glock she was looking for. She placed it in Carlton's hand. "This is for emergencies only," she told him firmly. "If anyone comes back, I want you to play dead." She looked at him, her eyes imploring. "Do you understand?" She found a clean spot of her shirt and dabbed Lassiter's forehead.

He held the gun in his hand and sighed. "Understood."

"I'll be back." She tossed the shirt aside and grabbed Horst's arm. "Let's go."

He planted his feet and refused to move. "I need my medical bag."

Juliet rolled her eyes and grabbed the bag, shoving it at Horst.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"No, actually. It's a terrible idea." She glanced over her shoulder, back at her partner. Then she continued to push Horst toward the door.

Once they reached their exit, she pushed the door open and peered outside. Her heart sank when she saw the black truck driving directly toward the desolate hiding spot. They had waited too long… She quickly pulled back and shut the door again. "Change of plans," she said softly, dragging Horst back to the couch. "Sit." She forced him back onto his stool, ignoring his whimpers of discomfort and protest. "Our friends are back." She stalked over to the wall and peered through a dusty window. The truck had stopped and the man and the woman got out. The man had a bullet wound from one of their shots and the pair both still had guns. But they weren't alone as they crept away from the truck. A third man wearing sunglasses and holding a gun climbed out of the backseat. "All three of them."

"There are three of them now?"

A fourth man appeared and Juliet sighed. "Check that. All four of them." She saw the woman hold some device in her hand and study it intently. Then she showed it to her male partner before tapping it. Understanding dawned on Juliet and she pulled away from the window. "And they know we're here."

Her footsteps were loud to her own ears as she walked back to the couch. "Carlton, can you stand?"

"I think so, with some help."

Juliet nodded and took his arm, helping him to his feet. "Come on…"

"You setting up an ambush?" her partner questioned as she ushered him from the couch, toward the spot she hoped would be safer for him.

"If you can shoot."

"I can shoot," he responded evenly.

"Okay." Juliet stopped and helped him down to the floor. "Easy. Easy," she ordered, never letting go of his arm until he was safely seated.

There was a rapid beeping coming from Horst's direction and she turned to deal with him. "Come on, behind the bar," she ordered, pulling him from his seat and over to the spot where she wanted him.

"What are you doing? You gotta get me out of here!"

"Sorry, that ship has sailed." She affixed his cuff to a pipe, ignoring his protests.

"Oh come on, you can't chain me up. What if you two get killed?"

"Well, that'll be a sad day for everyone." But there was no way she was going to let her partner die. "Sit down and be quiet." Once more she went back to Lassiter. "Here's the layout. It's a four wall, cinder block box." She grabbed a round table and laid it down on the floor. "I'll take the oblique angles on the front and back entrances, draw fire." She grabbed another table. "Anyone enters through the front will see me first." She set the table in front of Lassiter and crouched down in front of him. "Wait until they're all the way in, then take your shot."

He looked slightly bemused. "I know the drill, O'Hara."

"I know you do." Even critically injured, he remembered their training. Of course he did.

"What about me? Do I get a gun?" Horst called out to them.

"No," both Juliet and Lassiter responded angrily. Juliet pushed to her feet and went back to the window. She could see the group had returned to the truck. "They're just sitting there."

"Probably waiting for nightfall, improve their cover."

"So now we wait." Juliet leaned back, reluctantly tucking her gun into the waist of her pants.

"You know, I saw something like this once in an old Glenn ford movie, you know. It did not end well." Horst looked them over pointedly.

Not for the first time, Juliet wanted to shoot him. But she focused on returning to Carlton's side. Grabbing her shirt, she gently dabbed at his forehead. "Hey...how are you doing? You holding on?"

"Great."

"Listen, they used some kind of tracking device to find us." She set the shirt aside. "I saw her use it. How did she manage it?"

Lassiter stared ahead for a moment. "I don't know, but it's kind of...academic at this point, isn't it?"

Nodding slightly, Juliet responded, "Maybe." Then she sat down beside her partner, pressing against his side. "It'll be dark soon." The way they were touching, she didn't even have to think about it. When had that happened? More importantly, would it happen again after tonight?

"You should try to get out then." He drew in a shuddering breath.

"Yeah. We'll see." Her answer was short, noncommittal.

"Seriously, O'Hara. It's gonna get ugly."

"Look, it's a defendable position." That statement brought a faint smile to Carlton's lips. "Besides, look at you."

"O'Hara…"

Her eyes darted to the window, though she could not see anything from where she was seated. "Carlton, when we get out of here…" _When, not if_. There was no if in this scenario, not when she had so much left to tell him. Turning to better see him, she brought her hand up and cradled his face in it.

His eyes closed as he leaned just a little into her touch.

"When we get out of here, we're going to talk." His eyes opened and their gazes met. A thousand words silently traded as he weakly grasped her wrist. She wordlessly willed him not to let go.

Their gaze broke and Carlton coughed quietly, touching his chest. Juliet glanced down at the plastic bottle, inhaling sharply when she saw a fair amount of blood in it.

Carlton caught her concern and he waved a hand slightly. "Just a little blood. Nothing to worry about."

Nothing to worry about, her ass. Filled with renewed determination, Juliet pushed herself to her feet and began going over the few weapons she still had left. She tucked one piece into her waistband, then collected a few extra bullets and gave them to her partner. "These are for...you know, in case I don't…" She swallowed hard. "You know." If she left through that door and did not come back for him. Only a bullet would stop her.

"Wh-What's going on? What are you doing?"

Juliet didn't answer Horst as she tore her eyes away from Carlton. "Just stay here until I get back."

"O'Hara. Be careful."

At his words, Juliet glanced over her shoulder at him and gave him a small nod before she went to the backdoor.

"Where's she going? What's she going to do?" Horst questioned anxiously.

Lassiter took a small breath, his eyes still on the door. "She's going to kill them...before they kill us." His eyes closed as he let his head fall back.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Badass Juliet. Let me know what you all think, and happy reading!


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